Student Information Sheet

Pitch Pine Fire Adaptations

No large area in New Jersey's Pinelands has escaped burning and/or cutting during the past century. Fire has had and continues to have a major impact on Pinelands' vegetation - fire affects the natural selection process of the plants, shrubs, and trees that live in the region, and also the adaptations that they have developed in order to survive in this fire prone forest. Pitch pine, a dominant Pinelands tree species, is an example of this adaptability. Physical characteristics that allow it to be a hearty survivor include:

* dormant buds that permit sprouting from the root crown, trunk, branches, basal crook, and crown

* thick bark that protects dormant buds and cambium from fire

* development of a basal crook that can protect the tree's lowermost buds from severe fire; buds that can produce new shoots

* a deep root system including a tap root which helps the tree tolerate strong winds that often accompany a fire

* the ability to thrive in nutrient poor, acidic, sandy soil in full sunlight

* serotinous cones that may remain closed for many years after they mature. However, these cones open when exposed to fire's intense heat and release their seeds on vegetation free, mineral soil, which is an ideal seed bed for pitch pine growth